Feed mechanism for safety-pin carding machines



Feb. 24. 1925. V C. B. GOLDSMITH FEED MECHANISM FOR SAFETY PIN CARDINGMACHINES Filed March 10, 1922 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 C. B. GOLDSMITH FEEDMECHANISM FOR SAFETY PIN CARDING MACHINES Filed March' 10, 1922 3Sheets-Sheet 2 Feb. '24. 1925. 1 1,527,182

C. B. GOLDSMITH FEED MECHANISM FOR SAFETY PIN CARDING MACHINES I 3Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed March 10, 1922 Patented Feb. 24, 1925.

CHARLES B. GOLDSMITH, 073 EAST HARTFORD, CONNECTICUT.

FEED MECHANISM FOR SAFETY-PIN OAR-DING MACHINES.

Application filed March 10, 15322.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, CHARLES E. GOLD- SMITH, a citizen of the UnitedStates, and a resident of East Hartford, in the county of Hartford andState of Connecticut, have invented certain new and useful Improvementsin Feed Mechanisms for Safety-Pin Cardin Machines, which improvementsare fully set forth in the following specification.

This invention relates to improvements in mechanisms of that classavailable for receiving in a promiscuous mass, a supply of closedsafety-pins; selecting safety pins singly from said mass; andconducting, accordingly, said selected safety-pins to a point, as thereceiving element or member of a suitable carding machine, removed fromthe mass aforenamed, for delivery there/at, such constructions beingwell-designated feed mechanisms for safety-pin carding machines.

ihe object of this invention is to provide a feed mechanism of thecharacter above indicated which shall be simple and inexpensive asregards its construction, durable, efficient and dependable in practicalservice; convenient in its application to practical purposes; and whichshall possess certain well-defined advantages over prior analogousconstructions.

The invention consists in the combinations, details and parts to behereinafter nrore specifically referred to and set forth in the claimshereto appended, and whereby the attainment of the foregoing object isrendered practicable.

The invention is clearly illustrated in the accompanying drawings,wherein:

Fig. 1 is a plan View of a feed mechanism embodying my saidimprovements.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of same.

Fig. 3 is a vertical, transverse section of the mechanism, as along thedotted line 3-3 of Fig. 1.

Fig. i is a rear elevation of the construction.

Fig. is a cross-section of one of the feed chutes made use of, as alongthe dotted line of Fig. 1, scale enlarged.

l if; is a front elevation of the hopper, including the parts moreimmediately cooperating therewith, the feed-chute removed.

Fig. T is a detail view showing in perspec' tive and detached the intakeend-portion of one of the feed-chutes made use of.

Serial No. 542,618.

Fig. 8 is a detail view showing in perspective a fragment of thefeed-chute base, the pin-diverter assembled therewith, and the insertmade use of.

Having reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein similarreference-numen als denote like parts throughout the several views, I,in carrying out my present invention, primarily provide a hopper forreceiving the closed safety-pius to be duly manipulated and conducted,as to the receiving member of a carding machine, said hopper consistingin part, in this instance, of op posite upstanding side-members 2, 2,here shown as being connected at their rear edges by suitable tiepiecesS, 3, and furtherconnected at a point suitably in advance of saidtie-pieces, by a medial tie-bar 4i.

5 is a back-board disposed to reciprocate vertically, as at its oppositeside-edges in vertical ways 5, 5", formed in the sidemembers 2, 2, atthe upper inner faces thereof.

I further interpose between the tie-bar at and the back-board, and moreessentially the lower edge of the latter, a pin-supporting bottom 6,said bottom being generally tiltable with relation to the tie-bar a andcoacting at its rear margin with the backboard 5 to this end.

The foregoing tiltable disposition of the bottom 6 provides for theeffectual agitation, in practice, of the mass of pins sup ported therebyand incidentally the periodical shifting of such pins en masse to theadvance or delivery margin of said bottom at each upward throw or travelthereof, and as determined in this instance by each upward throw ortravelof the back-board 5, to be hereinafter more fully explained.

lVhile the bottom 6 may be formed from any suitable material, I preferthat material having greater or less flexibility, as wiremesh, canvas,or the like, be availed of in this connection.

it may be here pointed out, and from the foregoing it will be seen, thatmy present improved hopper'proper is characterized by the provisiontherein of constituent co-actin parts whereby essential agitation andintermittent shifting en masse of the contents of the hopper arepeculiarly and effectually accomplished in the practical operation of mypresent improved feed mechanism.

7 denotes a main operating shaft, suitably journaled, as in the oppositeside-members 2, 2, in advance of the bottom 6, and having firmly mountedthereon, a take-off drum 7, the latter being fitted, circumferentiallythereof and suitably spaced apart, with a plurality of take-oft studs 8.

The tie-bar 4 is so positioned between the side members 2, 2, that: thefront margin of the bottom 6, overlying said tie-bar in this instance,lies in feeding contiguity to the drum 7, at the rear side thereof and.in parallelism therewith, said tie-bar, including the margin of thebottom (5 overlying the same, being best kerfed at intervals there alongand substantially as shown at S, to provide due clearance for the studs8, the drum 7 being rotated.

It is desirable that means he provided for automatically actuating theback-board 5, and hence the bottom 6 for the agitation and shifting ofthe mass of pins supported thereby, as hereinbefore alluded to; and tothe attainment of this end I contemplate employing a crank-shaft 9,fitted with a crank 9 and suitably journaled, as in the side-members 2,2", belowand best in approximately the pla ne of, the back-board 5, aconnecting-rod 10 being operatively conjoined at its upper end with saidbackboard, as at the point 10. and operatively conjoined at its lowerend with the crank 9, and whereby the back board aforenamed caused toreciprocate vertically upon the shaft 9 being rotated, as will'bereadily understood.

It is further desirable that transmission means be provided whereby thecrank-shaft 9 shall be caused to rotate at a proper speedrate relativeto the speed-rate of the operating shaft 'l'; and to the attainment ofthis end I contemplate the employment of a driving toothed-wheel 11,firmly mounted on the shaft 7, and to receive which said shaft projectsthrough and suitably beyond the side-member 2, said driving toothedwheelmeshing at all times with a suitable intermediate toothed-wheel 12,rotatably mounted on a suitable stub-shaft 13, and said intermediatetoothed-wheel in turn meshing at all times with a suitably reducedfollower or pinion 1d, firmly mounted on the crank-shaft 9, and toreceive which in line with the toothed-wheel 12, said crank-shaftprojects through and suitably beyond the side-member 2, all as clearlyillustrated in Fig. 1 of the drawings.

It will be seen that with the parts assembled as above defined, turningof the operating shaft 7, as in the direction indicated by the arrow 15,(Fig. 2), will result in the turning of the crank-shaft 9 and at aspeed-rate proper with relation thereto; and

the turning of the shaft 7 n'i-ay be efferted in any appropriate manner,though preferably, and particularly where the mechanism is to bepower-operated, through the medium of a suitable pulley 16, fast on theoperating shaft and in belt connection, through the medium of a suitablebelt 17, with any available and appropriate source of power and motion,said operating shaft projecting through and suitably beyond the sidemember 2, to receive said pulley.

A feed-chute leads from a point relatively below the take-off drum 7 andat a suitable inclination downwardly and forwardly therefrom, saidfeed-chute comprising essentially a base 18 in conjunction with which,at the receiving end-portion thereof, are arranged opposite upstandingguards 19, 19, said guards being cut away to conform to the adjacentside of the drum 7 and. hence stand in close proximity thereto.

A bridge-plate 20 is arranged with an inclination downwardly andrearwardly between the guards 19, 19"; and to reverscly underlie whichis positioned an initial inipetus plate 21, having a suitable curvatureupwardly at its receiving portion, the loading-off end-portion thereofbearing on the base 18, all as clearly shown in Fig. 3 of the drawings.

It is desirable that the pins which shall slide end-on downwardly alongthe base 18 shall do so along a course of movement restrictcd to one,and preferably the far, side margin thereof; and while the attainment ofthis end may be accomplished in various ways, I contemplate theemployn'ient of a base 18 whose top surface, for the purpose aforenamed,shall incline transversely and downwardly from one side edge to theopposite side edge thereof, as clearly indicated in the drawings.

In any event it is essential that there be employedat and along thedepressed side edge of the base, an upstanding abutment wall, as 22,along and in contact with which the pins undergoing treatment alsoslide.

The base 18 is provided with a main over flow opening 23, the generalform and purpose of which will be more specifically referred tohereinafter.

There is fastened to the base 18, in any convenient manner and as at thepoint a super-pin diverter, whose medial portion or body extendsrcarwardly along the far edge of the opening 23, measurably over- "liessaid opening, and is merged at its free or rear end into an angularlyturned terminal 26 which in turn overlies, suitably elevated thereabovc,the course of movement of the pins being treated.

It will be seen, therefore, that due clearance'is providedbetween theterminal 26 and that section of the base 18 thereunder for the freepassage of the normally moving pins underneath said terminal, and forfurther movement downwardly along the said feed-chute. But, should anyof the pins be ing treated ride, previously to reaching the terminal 26,upwardly and upon the pin next in advance thereof, such super-pin willengage end-on the terminal aforenamed and be thereby diverted to and formovement by its own gravity downward through the main opening 28 andinto any suitable receptacle placed thereunder, the super-pins thuscollected being returned by and at the convenience of the operator tothe interior of the hopper of the mechanism.

To facilitate the foregoing deflection or divergence of the super-pinsthe terminal aforenamed is best fitted with a pin-diverting face 27,which is engaged end-on by the oncoming super-pins, as will be readilyunderstood.

Should the pins leaving the lower terminus of the feed-chute be notthere taken care of at any time with proper despatch, it can well happenthat the downwardly moving pins may line back, each end-on against thepin next in advance thereof, and to a predetermined point upwardly alongthe feed-chute, such point being conveniently located adjacent the body25 of the superpin diverter aforenamed, and whereat is also located aminor overfiow opening or clearance, 28, which lies relatively in linewith the diverter body aforenamed, at the far side thereof, andconstitutes in this instance a minor lateral extension of the openin 2,at its far edge.

In this connection, each of the oncoming pins which shall reach aposition adjacent to or in due registry with the minor openingaforenamed, (said opening being properly positioned to this endrelatively to the upper terminus of the line of lined-up pins), will bedeflected by the unbroken or compact line of pins in advance thereof,laterally from its course of movement and for passage by its own gravitydownwardly through the opening 28 and into any suitable receptacleplaced thereunder, which action on the part of such diverted pin ismaterially facilitated by under-cutting the body 25 at its far side andsubstantially as shown at 25, Fig. 8.

It is preferred that the inclination of the feed-chute made use of besuch that the pins which may be deposited therein may not slidedownwardly therealong save under a vibratory effect imparted to thechute; and while devices of varying types may be availed of to this end,I purpose making use of a vibratory hammer 29 which is attached throughthe medium of its flexible shank 30 to, say, the base 18 at the underside thereof.

31 is a minor shaft freely rotating in suit able hangers 31 dependingopposedly from the base 18, and having firmly mounted. thereon a toothedhammer-actuating wheel 32, the teeth whereof consecutively engage andrelease, say, the tongue 33 with which the hammer aforenamed isprovided, and said minor shaft being duly rotated.

Rotation of the minor shaft 31 may be conveniently effected through themedium of a driven sheave 34, fast thereon, and in belt connection,through the medium of a suitable belt with a suitable driving medium, asthe enlarged drive-sheave 36 fast on the main operating shaft 7.

Normally the hammer 29 lies in contact with the under face of the base18 and under a more or less yielding stress afforded by its flexibleshank 30, the teeth of the wheel consecutively co-acting with the tongueof said hammer in a manner to consecutively retract and release thesame; and said hammer when thus repeatedly released being permitted tosnap back into contact with the base aforenamed and deliver thereto,accordingly, a tap or blow adapted to vibrate the same, and sufficientlyso to cause any safety pins which would otherwise remain at rest on thebase 18 to slide downwardly there'alo-ng at a proper rate of speed.

In the practical operation of my improved feed mechanism the safety-pinsto be treated are introduced in a promiscuous mass into the interior ofthe hopper of the mechanism, such mass of pins being then essentiallysupported by the tiltable bottom (3 thereof.

Now, power and motion having been imparted to the take-off drum 7', asthrough the medium of its supporting shaft and the driving partsco-acting therewith, the mass of pins, under the tilting action of thebottom 6, is not only agitated in a manner to keep the pins comprisedtherein essentially distentangled and each essentially free to beselected from the mass, but to ensure, at each upward throw of thebottom 6, the shifting of said pins en masse to and into feedingrelation with the takeoff drum 7, as hereinbefore explained.-the tiltingac tion of the bottom aforenamed being automatically effected, in thisinstance, through the medium of the crank-shaft 9, rotating, in thisinstance, under power and motion dc rived from the operating shaft 1',through the medium of suitable transmission elements, such ashereinbefore referred to, and further through the medium in thisinstance of the vertically reciprocating back-board 5 and connectingaod1,0 interposed between the same and the crank afforded by saidcrank-shaft, the bottom aforenamed co-acting at its rear margin withsaid back-board and being movable upwardly and downwardly in unisontherewith, as will be readily understood.

As the drum 7 continues to rotate (essentiall v in the directionindicated by the arrow 15, Fig. each of the studs 8 thereof engages andtakes with it some one of the pins comprised in the mass thereof, now infeeding relation to the drum 7, carries it upwardly and well over saiddrum, and then releases it; whereupon such released pin drops by its owngravity onto the bridgeposited thereon will advance by a sliding motionendwise downwardly therealong. and properly in rotation one afteranother; and so long as each thereof shall continue to move thusseparately, the same will pass under the raised terminal of the diverteraforenamed and from thence continue its course onward downwardly alongthe chute to the delivery end thereof. there being no congestion of pinstherein.

On the other hand, should any pin, by any chance, mount the pin next inadvance thereof and previously to reaching the diverter terminal, suchsuper-pin will be diverted by said terminal laterally to and for afalling movement through the general overflow opening 23, asliereinbefore explained. and the pin so mountedby such super-pin beingthen free to continue separately its course of movement downwardly alongsaid chute; but. if the pin so moving should encounter, after passingthe diverter terminal, the pin next in. advance thereof and constitutingthe rear pin in a line of pins arrested in advance thereof, such movingpin, and other separately oncoming pins. will be diverted by such rear,arrested pin laterally to and for a falling movement through the minoroverflow clearance 28, as hereinbefore explained, and thereby obviatingthe temporary stopping of the operation of the operating parts of themechanism,it being understood that the minor clearance 28 shall beproperly located relatively to the rear end of the compact line of pinswhich may form within the chute from such clearance downwardly to thedelivery end of the chute.

The operation of my improved mechanism should be apparent from theforegoing description thereof. including the parts availed of forimparting a vibratory effect to the feed-chute made use of; and it willbe understood that the pins deliverable from the feed-chute} at thedeliveryi end thereof may be taken care of in any appropriate manner, itbeing intended that the same shall be delivered to the receiving memberof a suitable carding machine to be duly carded thereby, and whereby isrendered essential the employment, as clearly indicated in theaccmpanying drawings, of a, plurality of feed-chutes similar to 18, anranged side-by-side, and corresponding in number to the number of pinsit is desired shall constitute a row thereof when duly mounted on a cardprovided to receive the same.

It will be further seen that my improved mechanism is well adapted forthe purposes for which it is intended, being markedly simple in itsconstruction, positive in operation and whose parts are readily accessible, and further that the same may-be modified to a considerable extent,particularly as regards the means availed for agitating the mass of pinscontained at any time within the hopper, the specific means availed offor imparting a vibratory effect to the base 18, and various minordetails of the general construction without material departure beingmade from the spirit and principle of my invention as set forth in andcoming within the scope of the claims hereto appended. i i

It is here pointed out that to facilitate the formation of the generaland minor overliow openings aforenamed, for the base 18, I contemplatethe employmentof a relatively narrow insert 37, which is snugly insertedinto said base from the far margin thereof, said insert appearingclearly in Fig. 8 of the drawings.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. A hopper for a mechanism of the class herein described comprisingsuitable sidemembers and a flexible, pin-supporting bottom whose advancemargin constitutes a delivery margin therefor, and means adapted tocarry the rear margin thereof upwardly and downwardly in relation tosaid delivery margin.

2. A hopper for a mechanism of the class herein described comprisingsuitable sidemembers and a pin-supporting bottom whose advance marginconstitutes a delivery margin therefor; a movable back-board conctingwith the bottom aforenamed and arranged to carry, accordingly, the rearmargin of said bottom upwardly and downwz rdly in relation to thedelivery margin thereof; and means for actuating said backboard.

3. A hopper for a mechanism of the class herein described comprisingsuitable sidemembers and a pin-supporting bottom whose advance marginconstitutes a delivery margin therefor; a vertically reciprocatingback-board co-acting with the. bottom aforenamed and arranged to carry,accordingly, the rear margin of said bottom upwardly and downwardly inrelation to the delivery margin thereof; and means for actuating saidback-board, said means including a rotatable crankshaft, means forrotating feed-chute. But should any of the pins be ing treated ride,previously to reaching the terminal 26, upwardly and upon the pin nextin advance thereof, such super-pin will engage end-on the terminalaforenamed and be thereby diverted to and for movement by its owngravity downward through the main opening 23 and into any suitablereceptacle placed thereunder, the super-pins thus collected beingreturned by and at the convenience of the operator to the interior ofthe hopper of the mechanism.

To facilitate the foregoing deflection or divergence of the super-pinsthe terminal aforenamed is best fitted with a pin-diverting face 27,which is engaged end-on by the oncoming super-pins, as will be readilyunderstood.

Should the pins leaving the lower terminus of the feed-chute be notthere taken care of at any time with proper despatch, it can well happenthat the downwardly moving pins may line back, each end-on against thepin next in advance thereof, and toa predetermined point upwardly alongthe feed-chute, such point being conveniently located adjacent the body25 of the super-pin diverter aforenamed, and whereat is also located aminor overflow opening or clearance, 28, which lies relatively in linewith the diverter body aforenamed, at the far side thereof, andconstitutes in this insta ce a minor lateral extension of the opening23, at its far edge.

In this connection, each of the oncoming pins which shall reach aposition adjacent to or in due registry with the minor openingaforenamed, (said opening being properly positioned to this endrelatively to the upper terminus of the line of lined-up pins), will bedeflected by the unbroken or compact line of pins in advance thereof,laterally from its course of movement and for passage by its own gravitydownwardly through the opening 28 and into any sultable receptacleplaced thereunder, which action on the part of such diverted pin ismaterially facilitated by under-cutting the body 25 at its far side andsubstantially as shown at 25, Fig. 8.

It is preferred that the inclination of the feed-chute made use of besuch that the pins which may be deposited therein may not slidedownwardly therealong save under a vibratory effect imparted to thechute; and while devices of varying types may be availed of to this end,I purpose making use of a vibratory hammer 29 which is attached throughthe medium of its flexible shank 30 to, say, the base 18 at the underside thereof.

31 is a minor shaft freely rotating in suitable hangers 81 dependingopposedly from the base 18, and having firmly mounted thereon a toothedhammer-actuating wheel 32, the teeth whereof consecutively engage andrelease, say, the tongue with which the hammer aforenamed is provided,and said minor shaft being duly rotated.

Rotation of the minor shaft 31 may be conveniently effected through themedium of a driven sheave 34:, fast thereon, and in belt connection,through the medium of a suitable belt 35, with a suitable drivingmedium, as the enlarged drive-sheave fast on the main operating shaft 7.

Normally the hammer 29 lies in contact with the under face of the base18 and under a more or less yielding stress afforded by its flexibleshank 30, the teeth of the wheel 32 consecutively co -acting with thetongue of said hammer in a manner to consecutively retract and releasethe same; and said ham mer when thus repeatedly released being permittedto snap back into contact with the base aforenained and deliver thereto,accordingly, a tap or blow adapted to vibrate the same, and sufficientlyso to cause any safety pins which would otherwise remain at rest on thebase 18 to slide downwardly therealong at a proper rate of speed.

In the practical operation of my improved feed mechanism the safety-pinsto be treated are introduced in a promiscuous mass into the interior ofthe hop-per of the mechanism, such mass of pins being then essentiallysupported by the tiltable bottom (5 thereof.

Now, power and motion having been imparted to the take-off drum '7', asthrough the medium of its supporting shaft and the driving partsco-acting therewith, the mass of pins, under the tilting action of thebottom 6, is not only agitated in a manner to keep the pins comprisedtherein essentially distentangled and each essentially free to beselected from the mass, but to ensure, at each upward throw of thebottom 6, the shifting of said pins en masse to and into feedingrelation with the take-off drum 7, as hereinbefore explained,-thetilting ac tion. of the bottom aforenamed being automatically effected,in this instance, through the medium of the crank-shaft 9, rotating, inthis instance, under power and motion derived from the operating shaft7, through the medium of suitable transmission elements, such ashereinbefore referred to, and further through the medium in thisinstance of the vertically reciprocating back-board 5 and connecting-milll) interposed between the same and the crank afforded by saidcrank-shaft, the bottom aforenamed co-acting at its rear margin withsaid back-board and being movable upwardly and downwardly in unisontherewith. as will be readil v understood.

As the drum T continues to rotate (essentially in the directionindicated by the arrow 15, Fig. each of the studs 8 thereof engages andtakes with it some one of the pins comprised in the mass thereof, now infeeding relation to the drum 7, carries it upwardly and well over saiddrum, and then releases it; whereupon such released pin drops by its owngravity onto the bridge plate 20, downwardly along which it then slidesand from the lower end of which it escapes and again falls to and uponthe impetus-plate 21, downwardly along which it in turn slides to andassumes an end-on position upon the base 18.

Now, a vibratory effect being imparted to the base 18, as hereinbeforeexplained or otherwise. such pins as may now be deposited thereon willadvance by a sliding motion endwise downwardly t-herealong, and properlyin rotation one after another; and so long as each thereof shallcontinue to move thus separately, the same will pass under the raisedterminal of the divert-er a-forenamed and from thence continue itscourse onward downwardly along the chute to the delivery end thereof,there being no congestion of pins therein.

On the other hand, should any pin, by any chance, mount the pin next inadvance thereof and previously to reaching the diverter terminal, suchsuper-pin will be diverted by said terminal laterally to and for afalling movement through the general (werflow opening 23, ashereinbefore explained. and the pin so mountedby such super-pin beingthen free to continue separately its course of movement downwardly alongsaid chute; but if the pin so moving should encounter, after passing thediverter terminal, the pin next in advance thereof and constituting therear pin in a line of pins arrested in advance thereof, such 1novingpin, and other separately oncoming pins, will. be diverted by such rear,arrested pin laterally to and for a falling movement through the minoroverflow clearance 28, as hereinbefore explained, and thereby obviatingthe temporary stopping of the operation of the operating parts of themechanism,-it being understood that the minor clearance 28 shall beproperly located relatively to the rear end of the compact line of pinswhich may form within the chute from such clearance downwardly to thedelivery end of the chute.

The operation of my improved mechanism should be apparent from theforegoing description thereof, including the parts availed of forimparting a vibratory effect to the feed-chute made use of; and it willbe understood that the pins deliverable from the feed-chute; at thedeliveryt end thereof may be taken care of in any appropriate manner, itbeing intended that the same shall be delivered to the receiving memberof a. suitable carding machine to be duly carded thereby, and whereby isren- .d ered essential the employment, as clearly indicated in theaccmpa-nying drawings, of a plurality of feed-chutes similar to 18,arranged side-by-side, and corresponding in number to the number of pinsit is desired shall constitute a row thereof when duly mounted on a cardprovided to receive the same.

It will be further seen that my improved mechanism is well adapted forthe purposes for which it is intended, being markedly simple in itsconstruct-ion, positive in operation and whose parts are readilyaccessible, and further that the same may be modified to a considerableextent, particularly as regards the means availed for agitating the massof pins contained at any time within the hopper, the specific meansavailed of for imparting a vibratory effect 'to the base 18, and variousminor details of the general construction without material departurebeing made from the spirit and principle of my invention as set forth inand coming within the scope of the claims hereto appended.

It is here pointed out that to facilitate the formation of the generaland minor overfiow openings aforenamed, for the base 18, I contemplatethe employment of a relatively narrow insert 37, which is snuglyinserted into said base from the far mar gin thereof, said insertappearing clearly in Fig. 8 of the drawings.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. A hopper for a mechanism of the class herein described comprisingsuitable side members and a flexible, pin-supporting bottom whoseadvance margin constitutes a delivery margin therefor, and means adaptedto carry the rear margin thereof upwardly and downwardly in relation tosaid delivery margin.

2. A hopper for a mechanism of the class herein described comprisingsuitable sidemembers and a piirsupporting bottom whose advance marginconstitutes adelivery margin therefor; a movable back-board co-actingwith the bottom aforenamed and arranged to carry, accordingly, the rearmargin of said bottom upwardly and downwardly in relation to thedelivery margin thereof; and means for actuating said backboard.

3. A hopper for a mechanism of the class herein described comprisingsuitable sidemembers and a pin-supporting bottom whose advance marginconstitutes a delivery margin therefor; a vertically reciprocatingback-board co-acting with the bottom afore named and arranged to carry,accordingly,

the rear margin of said bottom upwardly lUU the same, and aconnecting-rod, the latter interposed between the crank of saidcrankshaft and said back-board.

4. A feed-chute for a mechanism of the class herein described comprisinga base having a suitable transverse inclination and fitted at a pointsuitably therealcng with a general overflow opening, and havingassociated therewith at its far or depressed edge an abutment wall orflange.

5. A feed-chute for a mechanism of the class herein described comprisinga base fitted at a point suitably therealong with a general overflowopening, and supporting a pin diverter, a portion of said diverter beingduly elevated relatively to said base, and whereby super-pins traversingsaid chute are diverted to and for passage through said general opening.

6. A feed-chute for a mechanism of the class herein described comprisinga base fitted with a general overflow opening and sup-porting a pindiverter, said diverter partially overlying said opening and affording aterminal which overlies the course of move ment of pins along said baseand being duly elevated with respect to the latter, said terminalfitted, in turn, with a pin-diverting face whereby super-pins traversingsaid chute are diverted to and for passage downwardly through saidgeneral opening;

7. A feed-chute for a mechanism of the class herein described comprisinga base fitted with a general overflow opening and thereat with a minoroverflow opening, and a suitable insert, the latter let snugly into thebase at one margin thereof and defining in part at its inner edge saidgeneral and minor openings.

8. In a mechanism of the class herein described, in combination, a dulyinclined feedchute including a base; means for feeding safety-pinsone-by-one therein; a hammer held to contact under an. elastic stresswith said base at the underside thereof; and means for intermittentlyretracting said hammer and releasing the same for a return snap actioninto contact with said base.

9. In a. mechanism of the class herein described, in combination, a dulyinclined feedchute including a base flanged along its far edge; meansfor feeding safety-pins oneby-one therein; a hammer held to contactunder an elastic stress with said base at the under face thereof; andmeans for intermittently retracting said hammer and releasing the samefor a return snap action into contact with said base, said means, lastmentioned, embodying a rotatable, toothedwheel and parts co-actingtherewith whereby the same may be rotated.

10. A feed-chute for a mechanism of the class herein described,comprising a base and a suitable abutment-wall or flange, the latterassembled with the base at and suitably along its far edge, said basebeing fitted, at a suitable point therealong, with a relativel y narrowinsert whose inner general edge serves to define in part a generaloverflow opening and a minor overflow opening for said chute.

CHARLES B. GOLDSMITH.

